Brian Burke is suing website posters for damaging his character thru posts on twitter. I am not a fan of this. Wasn't a fan before I read this and am less of a fan of him now. Someone somewhere heard a story about him and repeated it. Now he is suing.

"I now realise that the Toronto Maple Leafs, Canada's finest hockey team, is better than the Ottawa Senators - and always will be. PS - LOVE that Dion Phaneuf! "

I don't even get how any judge could / would let this go to court. First off, even if it was from an account, how is there proof that the holder of the account actually wrote/typed it? It'd be like coming on here and seeing a post from me that you didn't like. Now, chances are it was me but how do you know my little brother didn't get onto my computer and use my account (say i wasn't signed off?) to say something?

If it ever went to court, couldn't the guy being sued simply say "Hey Brian, do you have video of me actually typing that post"???

I can't stand Burke, but i never liked him much anyway. This court case doesn't make me hate him any more than i already do!

you are not a fan of Burke going with the virtual lawsuit, or you are not a fan of Burke suing someone for slander/defamation?

I disliked him prior to this lawsuit. I find this lawsuit against an unknown poster who heard something true or untrue and repeated it on a social network and he is now suing, is now what is lowering my opinion of him. The most common misconception of Burke is that he is a genious GM, who was the best possible person for the job in Toronto, to be untrue and my belief is his changes, specifically Kessel trade and Wilson as coach have set the franchise back years on development. Whereas it is my belief the person who replaced him (Noonis) has found better success while making a few changes, allowing playing time and development of key contributors, which Burke was unable to do during his long tenure and was actually the best man for the job. So with that being my opinion of him is he gonna sue me now?

"I now realise that the Toronto Maple Leafs, Canada's finest hockey team, is better than the Ottawa Senators - and always will be. PS - LOVE that Dion Phaneuf! "

There is a difference between sharing an opinion of someone and saying something about a person that is not true. If I understand this situation correctly, the poster was making allegations that Burke had an affair with Hazel Mae from sportsnet.

I am not the biggest fan of Brian Burke either and I don't think suing people is the right way to go. But people should also be held accountable for the things they say and do. Those kinds of allegations ruin people's lives.

There is a massive different between saying Burke was a crappy GM in Toronto and saying he cheated on his wife and getting another woman pregnant. I think people should be held accountable for what they say and do on the internet.

Although I think a lawsuit to an anonymous person is a little bit too far.....

Ottawa, the best coached team in the NHL, with MVP like players such as Chris Neil, will win the Cup in 2013!

I disliked him prior to this lawsuit. I find this lawsuit against an unknown poster who heard something true or untrue and repeated it on a social network and he is now suing, is now what is lowering my opinion of him.

As Beans said, there is a huge difference between criticizing what Burke did as a GM, and potentially ruining the lives and careers of 3 people (Burke, his wife, Hazel Mae). Burke is used to being criticized and is criticized often, and he also does not strike me as the frivolous lawsuit kind of person. So the fact that he has decided to pursue legal action here should tell you that its probably more serious than other postings.

The virtual lawsuit is an interesting twist - I had chalked it up to being a gimmick, but if you read the article it actually explains the legal ramifications of this move. Its pretty shrewed.

I shudder at the thought of this type of legal maneuvering gaining any footing, I mean imagine, in the thread about about who won the Kessel trade, we have posters who could be guilty of actual crimes then:

The Duke - guilty of interruptus debatus riduiculoususus....

Throwing every argument out there regardless of relevance to hammer home his points.

Slozo - sarcasimus interpretus Beansusus

Answering all of Beans posts with the biting sarcasm

Crock o s***e - coitus maximus Kesseliusus

nuff'' said in reference to his post of adorance.

Beans - momentus argueus anyoneus

Having to argue your points over and over because some posters seem to consider a sport of it's own to debate you.

I'm sure there are more, but I'll wait until Burkey gets his decision rendered first.